A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2003 TOMATO PLANTS

Hi everyone in plant Land! OK, here is my question. I want to plant my tomato plants in containers this year vs in the ground. I have very large containers with holes drilled in the bottom, then rocks for drainage. Next I used PVC pipe that I drilled lots of holes into all up & down to use for watering (great way I found for watering plants where you don't want to get the foliage wet & it evenly distrubates the water & liquid food. I then placed the pipe in the containers & added Miracle-Gro Garden soil for plants & veggies. Next came the tomato plant itself. I then added mulch. Later I will use a cage vs a stake for support. I will be watering & using Miracle-Gro Tomato plant Food weekly. Please tell me if there is anything else I should have done so I can correct it now in the early stages. Thank you so much....Kathie

Hi Kathie!!
Sounds like you've done you're homework!!!!! Everything sounds good.

Depending on the variety you're planting I still might have put a stake in. I grow Beef Steaks and Beef Masters and both need stakes!! As well as the Million tomatoes (the tiny ones!! My plants were over 6' tall last year) I do raised bed's but when I stood on the side they dewarfed me. Of course I'm only 5' butt still!! I had to get up on the sides to harvest. Plus the weight of the fruit!!! I grow 7 different varieties and my mom grows 6 other different varieties.(she lives right next door to me, our properties connect) We grow 'em and she delivers to meals on wheels and takes our over flow down to the clients and to the volunteers. Keeps my mom busy, my two boys busy and me~really busy!!!
Have you grown tomatoes before? How far down did you plant the tomato plant? To get a better root system you can plant right up to the top sets of limbs. Pull the few stragglerlimbs off the bottom and plant up the neck. Tomato plants are one of the few plants that you don't have to follow the original dirt line. They will send out roots along the shaft. And make a much steadier, deeper rooted plant.
I'm also telling everyone about a product I found on the QVC shopping channel that you spray on your plants and it's a micronutrient called "Spray-n-grow" that you spray on your plants besides your fertilizers and it's nice on my plants that I've had problems last year. It's good for veggies, perenniel, annuals, etc and is totally non-toxic to everything. (I haven't planted the veggies yet as it's been tough weather here in South of Buffalo, N.Y. area.)
Let us know how you do!!!
Weezie

Thanks Weezzie for the info on the tomatoes. Last year I grew them in the ground & just used the cages & only had a problem when the winds get really bad & pushed everything over! Maybe I will add the stake this time too. You must be some gardener...I see your name up all the time. Where do you get the "Spray-n-grow"? I didn't know about planting the plants that deep. Since mine are aready planted I don't want to shock them by digging them up, so I will do what you suggested next year for sure. Well, thx again......Good luck with your gardening too!

The spray-and-Grow is on QVC (shopping channel) It'll be on when the gardening segments are on or the Patio and Garden segments... Do you get that on you computer? www.QVC.com if you click on the gardening part you can always order it on line or over the show when it's on. I don't order over the internet but the Patio and Garden segment is on 5/20/03. I'm not sure the time. This is the first time trying it for myself. I had a problem with my hollihock's for about 3 years in a row. Some mouth sucking gray bug was after them and sucking the life out of them and I tried that stuff and so far they are doing really good. Full, green and getting big. Healthy looking. Before they looked like they needed something. It's also for blooms and root developement it you let it drip from the leaves. It's totally organic I understand. (I like that idea, I like organic~natural stuff) Got kids that follow me around in my garden and don't need them into it.
I have peony's that didn't bloom either and this year those ones are full of buds. So, I'm still spraying and I'll keep testing it out but so far it has my seal of approval on it. It's a concentrate that you purchase for $19.95 and it makes something like 64 qts. I need it in gallon size concentrate the size of my gardens.
I love to garden and I love flowers and I love reading up on them and my most favorite time of year is in Feb. when you get all those magazines in the mail and you look at all the new plants and just read up on them. It's all cold here in Western N.Y. and you can curl up on the couch with your slippers, hot tea and a blanket and just dream of gardening. Next favorite is making compost!!!
Sounds wierd I know but I enjoy it. I used to work 6 and 7 days a week, 12, 14 16 hour days and work nights, week~ends and holidays for 16 years and now I get to play in the dirt. I relish every minute. And realize I may only have about 40 more springs if I'm lucky!!!!!!
Happy gardening and love to hear about your tomato adventures.
Weezie

I really like this guy, P. Allen Smith. Has alot of good tips and ideas. http://www.pallensmith.com/features/highlights/h1503c.htm

Another site onthe depth of planting. http://www.burkards.com/pages/planting_tips/tomatoes.htm

QVC has the patio and garden on 5/14/03 @ 6-8:00pm. The Spray and Grow should be offered then.
Also 5/19/03 12-1:00pm
5/25/03 5-6:00pm
5/26/03 4:5:00pm
6/1/03 5-6:00pm
6/4/03 4-5:00pm
Some nice stuff there but watch your prices??
Hope that helps!!
Weezie

Hey, Weezie, you should have a job doing this full time! Got your last message about QVC's patio & garden shows...thx! Isn't this site the "BEST"? Kathie :p

Kathie,
I love this site. I joined two others and although they have some great info, one is so large you get lost in there. That is my next favorite one. And one other and get the basic~you can read the questions posted and you can reply but you have to be a paid member to read anyone else's reply....very frustrating on that one because you can learn alot from reading people's trials and errors. I refuse to pay, I'm tooooooo poor right now.
And the people are so nice on this one......
I'd love to do this for a living. When I'm done with raising my kids (well, them being little) I am going to do the master program thing. I already know alot of the basic, it's just to reconfirm my knowledge. Or to keep my memory, (LOL) I lost half of it with the kids.
Weezie

QVC goofed on the program guide...
Patio and Garden was on in the morning I guess, not according to their schedule. Keep hunting for it.....It's a nice product.
Weezie :rolleyes: